Retin A is a Life Saver! 7months in and my Skin is So Clear

I began using retin A in january 2014. I don't...

20 Jul 2014

6 months post

I began using retin A in january 2014. I don't remember the specific date but it was definitely january. I was desperate to get clear skin so I would research acne cures every day and I found this and then made the decision to order it online. So I ordered a 20g tube of a ret gel from ebay. At first I only used it on my back and chest and noticed results the next morning. Pimples were noticably smaller, drier. I was so excited. However My skin was very itchy and irritated there for the first few weeks/ months but I am not sure whether that was just my skin adjusting or whether I was using too much. The fourth-6th week of use I noticed a LOT of purging . Especially on my forehead, chin and jawline area and hairline. My shoulders also seemed to get more bumpy. But I continued using it every night religiously slowly even my blackheads came out on their own, like scabs. Bumps would either shrink and disappear or quickly turn into whiteheads which would dry up within two-3 days. The blackheads took longer though. They go through this slow process of coming up to the surface of the skin (because they are usually deeper in the pore) so that part was the worst because my forehead was a bumpy pimply mess and the pores that were clogged with a blackhead looked significantly larger but as soon as the dried up sebacious fillament was slowly expelled from the pore by continual retin a use, the pore went back to its normal small form. I heard lots of stories of retin a causing enlarged pores and orange peel texture, but that is simply not true because I have not experienced that. My pores are only bigger where I have attempted to manually extract a pimple and everywhere else they are of a normal pore size. They are only more visibly if im warm and sweating a lot or if I put on too much moisturizer but apart from that I am very happy with their size. Right now I am thinking of using retin a on my nose but I just dont wanna go through that awkward ugly bumpy purging stage again. The retin a is a miracle if you use it correctly and dont give up after a few weeks, but you NEED to be patient and you need to get used to having bad skin for a while because the wait is so worth it. Just dont pick at your skin please and make sure to use sunscreen every day and moisturize

1st month of use

21 Jul 2014

6 months post

1st month

21 Jul 2014

6 months post

12th March

21 Jul 2014

6 months post

July (7th month of use)

21 Jul 2014

6 months post

forgot to mention

21 Jul 2014

6 months post

My bacne and chest acne is also gone. Probably 80-90% of it which is a LOT considering I only had a mild case of it. I did get the fairly deep under the skin ones, blackheads as well as the bumpy future whiteheads but I never had any severe cystic acne so if you suffer from that I dont think retin a would be a quick and strong enough solution for you. It is great for "moderate" or 'common' acne though (ie blackheads, whiteheads,) but doesnt really work as quick if you suffer from very very deep acne

tretinoins I buy

29 Jul 2014

6 months post

its still hard to accept compliments

25 Aug 2014

7 months post

It feels so strange to be getting compliments on my skin now because I don't think I ever got any from people before!! In the summer my aunt said I have really nice skin (this was outside in the daylight) and last week a a girl from the shop said I have beautiful skin. For a second I thought 'no I don't but thanks' but then I realized I DO have beautiful skin and Im so glad I stuck with the retin a because now I can go back to college and not worry about my appearance as much anymore because my skin was a HUGE issue for me last year and I even skipped school when I felt 'too ugly to be seen' , I was really depressed and now, now I dont even remember the last time I cried about my complexion. Im happy with it, I accept it, even some of my old little scars are no big deal to me like they used to be. I was a perfectionist aiming for an unrealistic goal, but then I accepted reality of developing some scars and tried to move on and work on getting clear (which I am now yay!) ok ok I have one pimple near my hairline, but I think its from my mums bronzer or too much daycream, idk but it doesnt bother me anymore!!!